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Black Canary
Dinah Lance is the second Black Canary, taking the title from her mother. She is an expert martial artist as well as a member of the Birds of Prey. Background Being the daughter of two crimefighters -- Dinah Drake Lance, the original Black Canary and Larry Lance, private investigator -- one might argue that Dinah Laurel Lance had it in her blood. Unless, of course, that one is her mother who argued most fervently /against/ her daughter following in her footsteps. In truth, Dinah the Original had only herself to blame for her daughter's desire to don her leotard and fishnets; Dinah the Second had been raised on stories of her mother's time in the JSA by her "Uncles" such as Ted 'Wildcat' Grant who also took an interest in teaching her to brawl, though her true talent lay in judo. While Dinah trained intensely in secret, eventually the truth came out -- resulting in a shouting match between her and her parents as they argued over whether or not she should follow in her mother's footsteps. Just as abruptly as it began, the shouting match ended in Dinah's favor when her metagene activated and she, quite literally, shouted her parents down when her Canary Cry sent them through a wall. At nineteen, Dinah finally donned the fishnets and black leather to fight crime as the costumed heroine Black Canary. It was a busy time in her life; not only did she part from her parents, but she married her boyfriend Craig Windrow -- only to divorce nine months later. After the divorce, Dinah threw herself into her crime-fighting activities as a way to work through the feelings of frustration, doubt, and depression that followed in the aftermath of the divorce. While successful for the most part, it only took one bad brawl to put her out of the game. After facing off against a group of street-toughs, Dinah was outnumbered and left with several serious injuries, including several cracked ribs and a broken arm. She returned home to her parents for a time to heal and recuperate, while having to endure several 'I Told You So' talkings-to from her mother. During her down-time, Dinah lent a helping hand (the one that wasn't in a cast and sling) to her parents in their flower shop. After her initial grumbling, she discovered that she actually enjoyed the work. It was calming, and gave her plenty of time to think. Or, if she didn't want to think, she could zone out while listening to music and just make pretty flower arrangements. Further, her parents were very impressed with her work and were glad to see her doing normal activities and not kicking people in the face. With time, Dinah's injuries healed. As soon as the cast was off of her arm, she went right back to hitting things, though at first, it was inanimate objects that couldn't hit back, as her formerly broken arm needed to be worked out before she would hit the streets again. Eventually, though, she did hit the streets -- and the thugs that prowled them. As soon as she was confident that she was back on her game, Dinah applied for a membership with the Justice League -- and much to her delight and amazement -- she was accepted into their ranks. One cannot operate in Gotham for very long without attracting attention. She soon caught the attention of a group known as the Birds of Prey and was inducted into their ranks as well. It was a good time for Dinah, until she learned of her mother's cancer. It spread quickly and mercilessly, and within the month, Dinah the Original passed on. Both father and daughter were devastated by the loss, and her father did not take it well. He wasted away, following her mother to the everafter within two months of her passing. Following her parents' deaths, Dinah coped with the pain of loss in the only way she knew how: by kicking bad guys in the face. If she was going to hurt, so was anyone who crossed her path. She dedicated herself to her vigilante lifestyle, and never really bothered or cared enough to hide her identity behind a mask. There are days when all she really cares to do is sit back and artfully arrange some roses in an overpriced glass vase, but nary a night goes by that she isn't on the streets and in the back alleys of Gotham, bringing the pain and justice. Personality Peacekeeper: When things get heated between members of her respective organizations, Dinah often steps in to play peacekeeper -- despite her temper and often engaging in rather heated arguments herself. She's smart enough to know that disputes are better resolved peacefully, rather than arguing, even if she doesn't tend to practice what she preaches. Principles: Despite the fact that her Canary Cry alone would put an end to nearly every fight, Dinah prefers not to use it. It's less fun, and just takes away the satisfaction of going toe-to-toe with her foes, of proving to herself and them that she's simply better. Generally, she reserves the Cry for when she's battling significantly more powerful metahuman opponents in order to level the playing field. Temper: To say that Dinah has a bit of a temper is like saying that water is kind of wet. She's not some rage-fueled, hot-headed monster, but when she gets riled, she gets /riled/. She's also been known to hold grudges when something sets her off, even if they're not even logical grudges. Stubborn: Once Dinah has set her mind on something, that's it. Throw in the towel, because there's no changing her mind. Well... almost no changing her mind. It would take a very, very good argument to dissuade her once she's really decided on something, but it can be done. It's not /likely/, but it can be done. Powers A high-pitched, sonic scream, able to reach ultrasonic frequencies which can render people stunned or unconsciousness. Can inflict serious damage to people and property; Dinah's Canary Cry is capable of shattering metal, such as rupturing a steel wall. She can modulate her volume, and depending on the force of her Cry she can send people and objects flying, or knock them down, or simply bring them to their knees as they attempt to block the sound. Her Cry can also cause temporary deafness or leave those affected with ringing in their ears, depending on the volume of the Cry. A secondary effect of Dinah's power is an immunity to many types of sonics, especially those that operate on the same frequency as her Canary Cry. While she is still susceptible to any sonic cry that could affect her physically, such as knocking her down or sending her flying backward, it wouldn't affect her hearing. She is, naturally, immune to the effects of her own sonic scream. Skills Dinah has picked up an arsenal of skills over the years. She learned to brawl from Ted "Wildcat" Grant, and so far, he's the only person she can't beat in the ring. She has had intense training in various forms of martial arts, though judo, karate, and aikido have always been her specialities. She was never one to shirk weapons training, either. Over the years, she's picked up tips and tricks on sneaking around, gymnastics, and detectiving. From her mother, she learned the art of floristry. From Oracle, she learned how to use a cell phone (grudgingly). What she loves to do, above all other things, including slapping Ollie around and kicking thugs in the face, is straddle a motorcycle and hit the open road. Dinah is a skilled driver of anything with wheels (and some things with wings). With a passion for driving comes a knowledge of fixing engines when something goes wrong. She's got a working knowledge of how to get a truck running again, can rebuild the engine of a motorcycle, and could at least do some patchwork repairs on a plane. Boons As a member of both the Birds of Prey and the Justice League, Dinah has access to the resources of both organizations. Over the years of dating Oliver Queen, she has grown close to his wards, and considers them family; she knows she can count on them if in need, and the reverse holds true as well. When her mother passed away, she inherited the Sherwood Florist shop in Gotham, which is the main source of her income, and she lives in the little flat above it. She snuck a big chunk of her inheritance/savings into an all-black Aprilia RSV4 1000 Factory superbike, which is her pride and joy. Flaws One of the flaws, or limitations, of Dinah's Canary Cry is that she must fully commit herself to the act; she cannot do anything else. Also, it requires that she be able to open her mouth and use her voice -- if she is gagged or her mouth is taped closed, or if she suffers damage to her vocal cords, she cannot use her power. The closer the target is to Dinah, the more effective her power is; it diminishes over distance. She is a well-known technophobe, hating anything that has to do with computers or fancy high-tech gadgets. Her impulsive, reckless nature is as well known as her mistrust of computers. And even more well known than all of that is her relationship with Oliver Queen. On again, off again, on again; the two of them can never settle peacefully, but neither can they leave one another alone -- and no matter what the current status of their romantic relationship, she would drop everything, /everything/ to be there for him, if he needed her. For now, things seem to be okay between the two of them, but who knows how long he can resist kissing her shopgirls? AGAIN. Logs Including Black Canary 2010-07-23: Is it Man-Bats or Men-Bat?: Black Canary and Oracle's shopping trip is cut short, when batlike humanoids attack. 2010-08-17: Ninjas, Cap and Ollie's Social Skills: Black Canary debriefs with some fellow JLAers Category:Taken Feature Character